Method and apparatus for fractionating hydrocarbons.



L. E. HIRT.

METHOD AND APPARATUS-FOR FRACTIONATING HYDROCARBONS. APPLicAnon HLED JULY 21. 1915.

LQQQ QQO I u Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

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To all whom it may camera;

Be it known that I, LEoNl. HIRT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Method and Apparatus for Fractionating .Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,hforming part of this specification, in

Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical sec tion, and partly in side elevation, and largely conventional in character, showing the preferred form of apparatus for carrying out my invention, and l Fig. 2 is asection on the irregular line n41 f Fig. 1.

My invention has relation to the fractionatlon or cracking of hydrocarbons; and it consists in the provision of a method andapparatus whereby the fractionationmay be carried out in a simple and highly 'eflective manner. Referring to the accompanying drawings,

a in which I have shown the preferred form of apparatus for carrying out my invention, the numeral 2 designates a refractory furnace or retort having an upper interior atomizing chamber 3, a central contracted portion 4, and a lower ofl'take chamber 5.

The furnace or retort is heated by means of electric arcs produced between the electrodes 6. which pro ect into opposite sides of the contracted portion 4. 7 designates an oil 'tank having a connection 8 atone side with the characteristics the bottom chamber of the retort, and a con nection 9 at the opposite side leading to a pump 10. The pipe 9 may have a fresh oil supply connection 11. 12 is a pipe leading from the pump-10 into an atomizlng nozzle 13. which projects into a top opening 14 in the retort. 15- is a steam pipe which discharges downwardly. within the nozzle 13.

hevarious connections are provided with suitable valves, .asgindicated' a The pipe 15- preferably supplies superheated or dry steam; and its action is to cause the oil to be dischargedinto the chamber 3 in the form of a spray or mist, which is caused to The fractionation or 'refractionation takes place under a, controllable pressure within the retort, which pressure will vary to suit of the particular grade of 011 being used.

Application filed July 21, 1915. Serial No. 41,109.

, pass through the are between the electrodes. l

The pump 10 maintains the Specification of Letters Patent.

oil pressure to the desired intensity; and as the spray or mist of oil and steam passes the arc and is partly broken up and fractionated by the intense heat of the are a pressure isfbu ilt 'up Within the retort. This pressure is held back and This pipe leads to any suitable condenser or rectifier. Any oil which passes the arcs untreated is trapped off into the tank 7 from whence it maybe pumped back for re-treat ment, or otherwise disposed of.

, The steam introduced with the oil is decomposed intb 2H +O the nascent H enlPatented Apr. 31 8), 1917.

7 p is controlled by 7 ,"means of the valve- 16in the oiftake pipe 17 tering into the reaction with the oils; and

by holding the desired pressure in the furnace chamber, any thermo-chemical com: pound of the oils can be formed. The O liberated combines with carbon to form C0 gas. This is preferable to carbon in the free state, since the latter clogs the furnace and discolors the condensed fractions. Instead of using steam, of course, hydrogen may be supplied either in the form of free hydrogen or by some other gas containing the same, suchas natural gas. If in any particular case the 0 produced by the dissociation is objectionable in causing carbonization or burning, theatomizat'ion may be produced by oil pressure alone. I prefer, however, in

all cases to have hydrogen present in some By my invention the operation can be so controlled that any desired hydrocarbon of a particular series capable of being produced b fractionation can be readily manufacture Suitable known character can be employed in the retort or furnace to assist in any particular reaction that it may bedesired to produce.

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catalytic agents of While ll have shown the retort or furnace in vertical position, it is obvious that it can be su ported in any other desired position. referfingto pressures herelnand 1n the appended claims, the term pressure is to be understood in its absolute sense, slnce either poslt ve or negative pressures may be employed. I claim:

1. The herein described method of frac are within a closedchamber or retort, mainduce a reaction between the hydrogen and the 011s, and conducting away the oil vapors chamber to thereby control the c taining a. controllable pressure in said chamher or retort, and conducting" ofi and condensing the oil vapors thus produced in said chamber or retort, substantially as described.-

3. The herein described method of fractionating oils, which consists in subjecting an oil in the presenceof hydrogen to the action of an electric arc in a closed chamber or retort, to thereby fractionate the oil and prothereby produced and condensing the'same into a liquid; substantially as described.

4. The herein described method of fractionating oils, which consists in subjecting oil mixed with steam to the action of an electric arc in a closed chamber or retort, whereby the steam is decomposed and the liberated H, enters into reaction with the oils to form a compound thereof ,and maintaining a controlled pressure in title retort or laracter' of said compound; substantially as described.

5. The herein described method of fractionating oils, which consists'in subjecting an oil' in the presence of hydrogen to the ac.

"tion of an electric arc in a closed chamber or. retort, to thereby tractionate the oil and cause a reaction between the oil and the hydrogen, controlling the pressure in the re-- tort or chamber during the operation, and conducting oiit the oil vapors thereby' roduced'and condensing the same substant ally as described.

6. The herein described method of fractionating oils, which consists in subjecting an oil in the'presence of steam to the action of an electric arc in a closed chamber or retort, thereby effecting the decomposition of the steam and causing the liberated hydrogen to enter into reaction with the oils, and

the'liberated oxygen-to combine with carbon to form CO gas, controlling the pressurein the chamber or retort during the operation,

and conducting away and condensing the oil vapors produced; substantially as de-- scribed.

7. The herein described method of frac-' tionating oils, which consists in subjecting an oil in the presence of steam to the action of an electric arc in a closed chamber or retort, thereby efiecting the decomposition of the steam and causing the liberated hydrogenv to enter into reaction with the oils,and the liberated oxygen to combine with cartively enlarged end chambers and an intermediate connecting portion of relatively smaller diameter, means for producing an electric arc in the last named portion, means for introducing oil and steam in the form of aspray or mist into one of the end chambers, a controllable ofitakeleading from the other of said chambers, and means for delivering untreated oil from the last named chamber, substantially as described.

9. Apparatus for fractionating oils, comprising a closed furnace or retort, a spray nozzle arranged to discharge into one end portionof the chamber of the furnace or retort, means for supplying hydrocarbon to said nozzle, means for producing an electric are within said chamber, an ofi'take for the .produced oil vapors communicating with the chamber at the opposite side of the elec tric are producing means, means for regulating the pressure produced by the vapors generated in said furnace or retort, and means for collecting and taking off untreattively enlarged end chambers and an intermediate connecting portion of relatively smaller diameter, means for producing an electric arc in the last named portion, mean:

for introducing a hydrocarbon into one or said end chambers, an ofitake for the produced oil vapors leading from the other of said chambers and means for controlling the pressure wlthin the-retort; substantlally as described.

my hand;

Witnesses In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set LEON E. HIRT. 

